PROCESS OF PLURALIZATION IN BODO AND ASSAMESE LANGUAGE: A COMPARATIVE STUDY

In this paper, an attempt has been made to discuss the
system of pluralization in Bodo and Assamese language of Assam in a comparative
manner. Though both the languages belong to two different language families,
yet they possess some common characters, as they have been living together
since the time immemorial. The present work discusses the process of pluralization
by suffixation and reduplication in a comparative as well as in contrastive
manner. The main objective of this paper is to analyze and to draw out the
similarities and dissimilarities between the languages in relation to
pluralization.

Keywords: Pluralization, Suffixation, Zero Suffix, Reduplication

1.Introduction

The Bodo
language is originated from Tibeto-Burman group of the Sino-Tibetan language
family, which is the second largest language family of the world. The family is
quite extensive and consists of two main branches Tibeto-Burman and
Siamese-Chinese. Himalayan, Tibetan, North Assam and Assam Burmese are four
major branches of the Tibeto-Burman group and Bodo language belongs to Assam
Burmese group. Under this Bodo group there are several minor languages such as
Garo, Rabha, Dimasa, Tiwa, Kokborok etc. which are spoken mainly in Assam and
the adjacent areas of North-Eastern regions of India as well as in West Bengal,
Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh.

The Assamese language is the State language of Assam.
The language is originated from Indo-Aryan group of greater Indo-European
language family. The language is rich in her literature. It is spoken mainly in
Assam and the adjacent areas of Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland.

2.Objective

The paper attempts to discuss the process of
pluralization by suffixation and reduplication. As both the languages are from
different sources, it is trying to discuss in a comparative as well as in
contrastive manner. The main objective of this paper is to analyze the process
of pluralization in Bodo and Assamese language and to draw out the similarities
as well as dissimilarities between the languages. It also aims to study how
both the languages shows some common characteristics in relation to
pluralization though they belong to two different language families.

3.Methodology

As per methodology is concerned,
this paper is primarily based on secondary data which have been collected
through reviewing books, journals, souvenirs etc. However, some valuable
information have been collected from the persons having knowledge on this
subject as well as some personal observation and views are added to analyze the
data.

4.Results and
Discussion

Pluralization is the way of transferring the nominals
from singular to plural. It is a part of Morphology. In both the language Bodo
and Assamese, pluralization can be formed by suffixation and by reduplication.
In word level, suffixation is the primary way of pluralization and in sentence
level by reduplication. Pluralization is related to noun, pronoun and
adjective. Through this discussion, the process of pluralization is going to be
analyzed by suffixation and reduplication.

4.1 Suffixation

In Bodo, there are only three plural suffixes, which can be added to the
singular noun, pronoun and adjective. To indicate singular there is no use of
suffix with the nominal bases. The plural suffixes are -phɯr, -mɯn and -sɯr. These suffixes
are the morphological conditioning allomorphs of suffix -phɯr.
The plural suffixes are principal inflectional nominal suffixes and can be added to all the nominals
and adjectives. The Assamese plural suffixes are numerous than that of Bodo.
The suffixes are -bor, -bilak, -hɒt,
and -lok, which are also morphological conditioning allomorphs of -bor.

The suffix -phɯr
and -bor have the similar distribution in both the language respectively. The plural suffix -phɯr can be added to all other nominals, which do not take
-mɯn and -sɯr. The -phɯr is a very
common plural nominal suffix. It comes with noun, pronoun and adjective. Both
the suffixes come with animate and inanimate objects. The Bodo suffix -phɯr
and Assamese -bor represent an equivalent meaning.
e.g.-

Bodo:

(1) daw-phɯr-a bir-laŋ-dɯŋ

birds-PL-NOM fly-take away-CONT

(birds are flying away.)

(2)be-phɯr mɯzaŋ phithai

This-PL
good fruit

(These
are good fruits.)

Assamese:

(3) sɔrai-bor ur-i gol

birds-PL fly-SUB
go-IPA

(Birds
have flown away.)

(4) bɒstu-bor xua

thing-PL eat

(Eat the things.)

In Assamese, there is also another plural indicating suffix
i.e. -bilak which is similar to that of
-bor. The suffix -bor is used mostly to indicate honor, whereas the suffix
-bilak does not show honor. Both the suffixes can be added to nouns, pronouns
and adjectives. e.g.-

(5) sɔrai-bilak ur-i gol

birds-PL fly-SUB go-IPA

(Birds
have flown away.)

(6)
manuh-bilak nɒ-gol

man-PL NEG-go-IPA

(have not gone.)

(7) ei-bilak ni-niba

this-PL NEG-take

(Do not take
these.)

In Assamese, there is another plural suffix i.e. -hɒt, which can be added to both noun and pronoun to indicate honor
and non-honor. e.g.-

(8) Ram-hɒt-e gol

Ram-PL-NOM
go-IPA

(Ram
and his friends have gone.)

(9) i-hɒt-e
xua nai

3PL-NOM sleep NEG- be

(They
have not slept.)

(10)
xura-hɒt-ɔr ghɒr-ɒt za-m

Uncle-PL-CG house-LOC go-FUT

(shall/will
go to uncle’s house.)

However, there can be seen some exceptional case in
Bodo. The adjectival geder(big/elder), bɯrai (old) used as kinship terms may take -phɯr plural suffix to indicate honor in relation to mean
singular but sometime to mean plural in a collective sense. The relative noun geder-phɯr (husband’s elder brother / wife’s elder sister) or bɯrai-phɯr (Father in law) are the
good examples in this regards.

In Bodo, there are some especial kinship terms such as bewai(husband’s/wife’s elder
brother/sister), undɯi (her sister’s husband) take the suffix -phɯr is added only to denote respect or honor but not to
mean plural. Here the kinship bewai-phɯr (husband’s/wife’s elder brother/sister) and undɯi-phɯr (her sister’s husband)
take the plural suffix -phɯr indicates honor but not
plural. But the Assamese kinship terms bhai-khahur andzi-xahu (husband’s or wife’s elder
brother or sister) and zuwai (her sister’s husband or son in law) similar to Bodo do not
take such kind of suffix.

In Bodo the first person plural number zɯŋand in Assamese ami also take plural suffix -phɯr and -bor respectively to indicate negligence as well
as proud sense in a collective situation. e.g.-

Bodo:

(12) zɯŋ-phɯr-khɯu ma khalam-gɯn

1PL-PL-ACC
what do-FUT

(What
can do to us?)

(13) zɯŋ-phɯr-lai
bɔbe-aw thaŋ-gɯn.

1PL-PL-MUDS where-LOC
go-FUT

(Where
do we will go?)

Assamese:

(14) ami-bor-e-nu kɔt
par-im

1PL-PL-NOM-EMPH where can-PFV

(How hardly we can do !)

(15)
ami-bor-ɔk
kun-e-u na-mate

3PL-PL-ACC who-NOM-EMPH NEG-call

(Nobody call us !)

In order to indicate plural, the suffix -mɯn is added to
noun and pronoun. Somehow, the suffix -mɯn shows honor in plural. In Bodo the plural suffix -mɯn comes with
proper Noun and relation indicating noun such as ada (my elder brother) apha
(my father), ai (my mother). In Assamese, there is no any particular type of
suffix, which is similar to that of -mɯn. The suffix -hɒt can be used to indicate
the same. e.g.-

Bodo:

(16)ai-mɯn phɯi-dɯŋ

mother-PL come-CONT

(Mother
and her friends are coming.)

(17) apha-mɯn-a thaŋ-bai

1father-PL-NOM go-IPA

(My father and his friends have gone.)

(18) bibari-mɯn dugɯi-dɯŋ

bibari-PL bath- CONT

(Bibari
and her friends are bathing.)

Assamese:

(19) ma-hɒtah-ise

mother-PL come-PFV

(Mother
and her friends are coming.)

(20) Mazoni-hɒt-e nach-ise

Mazoni-PL-NOM dance- CONT

(Mazoni and her
friends are dancing.)

The suffix -mɯn comes with the pronouns nɯŋthaŋ (you honorific) or bithaŋ (S/he honorific) belonging to second person and third
person honorific form respectively to indicate plural. However, it does not
occur with first person. e.g.–

(21)nɯŋthaŋ-mɯn-a phɯi-bai

2HonPL-NOM come- IPA

(You have
come.)

(22)bithaŋ -mɯn-a dɯisa-aw thaŋ-dɯŋ

3HonPL-NOM
rivulet-LOC go-PFV

(They
have gone to rivulet.)

The -sɯr is a plural
suffix, which comes only with pronouns. It can be added to second person
non-honorific form nɯŋ (you) and third person non-honorific form bi (S/he).
In Assamese, there is also only one plural suffix –lok, which can be
added to honorific pronouns belonging to second person. Though the use of -sɯr and –lok is
different yet it works the same in both the language. e.g.-

Bodo:

(23) nɯŋ-sɯr ma khalam-dɯŋ ?

2PL
what do-CONT

(What
are you doing?)

(24) bi-sɯr dɯisa-jaw thaŋ-dɯŋ

3PL river-LOC go-CONT

(They
have gone to the river.)

Assamese:

(25)
tuma-lok-e kot za-ba

2Hon-PL-NOM
where go-PFV

(Where will you go?)

(26)
eo-lok ijat na-thake

2Hon-PL
here NEG-stay

(They
do not stay here.)

4.2 Zero Suffix

In some cases the collective numbers in adjectival forms
like- gɯbaŋ~bɯrza
(lots of), ese (few)
etc. indicate the uncountable quantities of the noun. In these contexts, noun
bases (not Pronoun) are interpreted to be plural forms either with allomorphic
zero suffixes or without any plural indicating suffixes. (Bhattacharya
1977:155). In Assamese also, there is many collective adjectivals are used to
indicate plural without suffixation such as bɒhu,ɒzasrɒ, xɒkɒl, mɒkha etc.occur frequently in the language. e.g.
–

Bodo:

(27)gɯbaŋ mansi(Ø) phɯi-dɯŋ

many people come-CONT

(Many
people are coming.)

(28)bɯrza ɯŋkham(Ø) za-dɯŋ

lots
of rice eat-CONT

(Eating
lots of rice.)

Assamese:

(29)bɒhu manuh(Ø) ah-isil

many man
come-PST

(Many people came.)

(30) ɒzɒsrɔ pɒkhi ur-ile

many bird fly-IPA

(Many birds have
flown.)

In general, the simple or assertive
sentences, the noun bases take the plural suffix but, in case of W/H sentence
the noun phrase take plural suffix though there is a collective adjectival
form. e.g. –

(31)gɯbaŋ mansi-phɯr phɯi-dɯŋ

many man-PL come-CONT

(Many people are coming.)

(32) ɒzɒsrɔ pɒkhi-bor kɔt za-i

Many
bird-PL where go-HAB

(Where do the birds
go?)

As like the collective adjectival, sometime the numerals also indicate the number whether
it is singular or plural. Here the noun bases do not take plural suffixes but
the numeral distinctly indicates the meaning. e.g. –

Bodo:

(33)
ma-brɯi daw(Ø) thɯi-bai

CLF-four
bird die-IPA

(Four birds have died.)

(34)
sa-bazi mansi(Ø) phɯi-dɯŋ

CLF-fifty
man
come-CONT

(Fifty
men are coming.)

Assamese:

(35) dɔh-zɔn manuh ah-ise

ten-CLF man
come-IPA

(Ten people have come.)

(36)pas-ta sɔrai mɔr-il

five-CLF bird die-IPA

(Five birds have died.)

Sometime the noun bases may also take
plural suffix though the numerals distinctly indicates the numbers of the nouns
in Bodo, but in Assamese, there is no use of plural suffix as mentioned in the
above examples. e.g. -

(37)
sa-bazi mansi-phɯr phɯi-dɯŋ

CLF-fifty man-PL come-CONT

(Fifty people are coming.)

4.3 Pluralization by Reduplication

Reduplication is another way of
pluralization in sentence level. By reduplicating the grammatical categories
like nouns, pronouns and adjectives pluralization can be form in both the
languages Bodo and Assamese. e.g. –

Bodo:

(38)aŋ gami
gami berai-dɯŋ

1SG village
RDP tour-CONT

(I have visited each home.)

(39)ma ma khalam-gɯn

what what do-FUT

(What will do?)

(40)mɯzaŋ mɯzaŋ phithai za

good good fruit eat

(Eat good fruits.)

Assamese:

(41)mɔi gao-e gao-e
phur-isu

1SG
village-LOC RDP to
travel-CONT

(I
have visited each home.)

(42)ki ki
kɔr-iba

what what do-FUT

(What will do?)

(43)val val phɔl khua

good good fruit eat

(Eat
good fruits.)

5.Conclusion

From the above discussion it is seen
that the system of pluralization of Bodo and Assamese languages is very
distinct and simple, and even Bodo is simpler than that of Assamese.
Pluralization can be form suffixation and by reduplication in both the
languages.

There are only three plural suffixes in
Bodo, whereas there are four in Assamese. These suffixes play vital role in
pluralization in the word level.

Reduplication is one of the important
way of pluralization in the sentence level. Both the languages have the system
of pluralization by reduplication.

It is to be mentioned here that no
differences have been found in relation to pluralization in both word and
sentence level in both the languages though both the languages are originated
from two different language families namely Sino-Tibetan and Indo-European.

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